Field
The present disclosure relates to generation and display of weather and related information for flight planning. In particular, the present disclosure relates to prediction of the intersection of flight paths with transported meteorological disturbances.
Background
The technique described herein addresses Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) events which are not identified by current CAT prediction formalisms and/or commercial CAT prediction products, and which events are a cause of significant damage and injury encountered during long-haul commercial flights over remote oceanic areas. Such events are not uncommon, and occur in areas that are free of clouds, and are not located near jet stream or upper frontal shear zones associated with the Ellrod-Knox formalism, and are at large distances from possible “near-cloud” turbulence associated with convective storms. Similar considerations apply to the intersection of flight paths with other forms of transported meteorological disturbances and related phenomena, which may comprise volcanic gases and aerosols, radionuclide plumes, and tracers deliberately inserted to simulate a hazard source.
“Clear Air”, as used herein, means not in-cloud (satellite methods) and/or without precipitation (radar methods). “Clear air” is a negative recursive term, in that it references conditions other than conditions that are considered to be “Clear Air” encounters.